


It's Never JUST a Kiss

by MegsChaos



Series: It's Never Just a Kiss [1]
Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: 30 Kisses, Slice of Life, stages of a relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-07-07
Updated: 2012-07-07
Packaged: 2017-11-09 08:24:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/453384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MegsChaos/pseuds/MegsChaos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of stories that are fo the LJ 30 kisses challenge.  The pairing is Eiji and Ryoma.  Some stories may encompass more than one prompt.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Coming Home

Theme: #20 Long Road Home  
~~  
The sun seemed to shine a little brighter on the rich red hair of Eiji Kikumaru. He was nervous and that was unusual for the easy going man. He tended to roll with the punches in life. Then he had met Ryoma Echizen when the boy was twelve and he was fourteen. He had become a sempai over night to his Ochibi. They ate out together and teased Oishi together and occasionally they hung out when there was nothing else to do. Then Eiji graduated and realized he missed the little brat. After all, there was no one in high school that blushed that easily or who knew when he just wanted to sit. Well, Oishi didn’t count because he was Oishi. There was no comparison.

Then when he was sixteen, he could still remember hearing someone call out for Echizen-buchou and he turned to see a taller Ryoma talking quietly with a younger teammate. He had smiled and run to hug the boy. He had gotten the trademark snort and eye roll.

“Kikumaru-sempai, I would like to be able to feel my arms again please.”

Eiji shook his head slightly as he stood on the walkway leading up to their house. Although he supposed it was probably seen as only Ryoma’s now. But in his eyes it was theirs. They were the ones who spent three months searching. They were the ones who had filled the rooms with furniture. They had… He was the one who had walked away saying he needed more time. He had left Ryoma.

Calm eyes take in the changes. The paint is new. Those flowers weren’t there before. His name isn’t on the mail box or by the door anymore. The car was gone. Fuji and Oishi had both warned him Ryoma wasn’t the same. He had never been the most open friendly person on the face of the earth. But then that had been the challenge to get everyone else to see what he saw. Five years. They had been together five years when Eiji had met Joseph. Joseph was easy to talk to and easy to bring out. Being with him was easy – Eiji mistook that for better. He walked away from Ryoma. Only he had looked back. 

Turns out easier isn’t better. Turns out he was happier with his quiet reserved lover than he was laughing with Joseph. He missed Karupin and taking baths and knowing that Ryoma was there. Because he had still been there for Eiji. When he had needed a friend Ryoma had still been there in his white hat to save the day. Or to listen to his long rambling conversations at three in the morning, never asking why or trying to tell him he was crazy. Just listening. There was a time those talks would have happened in their King size bed. With his head in Ryoma’s lap and Karupin on his stomach. Ryoma would run his fingers through the bright red hair and make soothing sounds while Eiji would ramble. He missed that.

~~

“I hear Kikumaru is home. Word has it he is coming to see you.”

“Hard to do with me here and not home isn’t it Tezuka-buchou?”

Tezuka sighed and looked at the younger man in exasperation, “I haven’t been your captain for three years Ryoma-kun. Now why aren’t you there dealing with this?”

Ryoma shrugged and looked out the window, “I don’t know Tezuka-kun. I just don’t know.”

His heart was screaming. ‘Because you still wake up reaching for him, because no matter what you say you still don’t know why he left, because you still LOVE him.’

But Ryoma had stopped listening to that when Eiji had left.

~~

The lock had been changed. It had been a smart move but it still hurt, Eiji sat on porch and reached for his cell phone. If Ryoma had changed his number he was screwed.

“Hello?”

“Ryoma-kun, I-I-I’m home. But my key doesn’t work anymore.”

“There is a reason for that Kikumaru-sempai; I changed the locks two weeks ago. I will be there shortly. Good bye”

Eiji looked at his phone and hit the ‘end’ button slowly. Ryoma had sounded so…cold. So much like he had before they had started seeing each other. He shivered and sat on the porch looking out at the street. He was home, but there was no guarantee he could stay.

But he wanted to – desperately.

~~

“He’s sitting in front of the house.”

Momoshiro looked at Ryoma with raised eyebrows, “Want me to walk you home?”

Ryoma chuckled harshly, “Protecting me from the big bad ex-boyfriend? No, I can handle it. But thank you for offering. I will see you tomorrow?”

“Call me tonight. Remember, I am on YOUR side.”

Ryoma shot his best friend a fond look, then reached over to ruffle his hair, to the mock annoyance of the older man, “Watch the hair!”

“As if it needs watching! You have so much product in it could stand up to a hurricane and not be dented.”

~~

Golden cat eyes saw Eiji sitting there staring off into space. Ryoma stopped and looked at the man sitting on his porch with a detachedness he was proud of. Eiji looked older, a bit more slender but at the same time a bit more toned. It seemed eighteen months, three weeks, and two days could really do some good to the body.

Then Eiji saw him and stood up, rubbing his hands on his jeans, he smiled a bit wanly as Ryoma approached, “Hey there Ryoma-kun. It’s been awhile.”

“I sent all your things Kikumaru-sempai. I don’t think I forgot to send anything.”

“No, I got everything I thought I needed. But there is something else I need. Just didn’t know what it was until recently.”

Ryoma snorted, “What you thought you could run off, have your fling and then come running back like nothing happened?”

“Something like that, yeah.”

“Sorry, no can do. I am not going to be your safe haven between relationships. I need more than that. Have a nice life Kikumaru-sempai.” Ryoma said walking around him to the front door, only to be stopped by a hand on his arm.

“I just want to talk. Please, Ryoma-kun, give me that.”

“Fine, I have to order dinner anyway.”

~~

They ate in silence which was odd. Eiji remembered a time when he had done all the talking but they still carried a conversation. People didn’t understand how that was possible but it was. They had been in synch with each other. Now he felt like they were gears grinding against one another.

“You wanted to talk. Pretty silent over there.” Said Ryoma finally looking up from his carry out container to look at his ex. 

“Don’t know where to start.”

“Then maybe you should leave. I do have a life these days you know.”

Eiji looked up startled at the revelation; no one had mentioned he was seeing someone. No one had mentioned there was someone he was even remotely interested in.

“I have a lesson at six. You might either want to get going or start talking.”

“So it isn’t a date?”

Ryoma looked at him like he was insane, “After our rather spectacular demise, I figured out I suck at being a boyfriend. Haven’t really wanted to go through all that again. So I am a single man –- and liking it that way.”

“It wasn’t you that sucked at it. It was me. I never should have left. You see Ryoma; everyone was great at telling us how young we were. You were even younger and that was never an issue with us. We never cared. So when he came along, I realized that I had never really been with anyone other than you. What if they were all right and we were missing out on something. So, I left to see what we were missing.”

Ryoma arched a brow, “What were we missing? I sure as hell didn’t think we were missing anything. I thought we were doing pretty damn good.”

“You and I weren’t missing anything. He was. He wasn’t you. But by the time I realized that – you were almost over me and trying to be my friend. You were doing fine without me. SO I stayed where I was figuring that there had to be something else. Only there wasn’t, I couldn’t come home. I didn’t think I could anyway.” Huge eyes looked at Ryoma hopefully, “Can I come home?”

Ryoma shrugged, “I have no idea where home is to you anymore. SO I have no idea where that would be.”

“Here. With you, in our house.”

“No, there is no way you can simply waltz in here eighteen months after you waltz out and expect the door to be open. That simply will not happen.” Ryoma said firmly. His eyes had a resolved glint to them, Eiji persevered.

“Where else am I supposed to go?”

Ryoma shot a look at the clock and cursed under his breath, “Well, I don’t know where you are going, but I have a lesson to give.”

“I can’t get my mind around the fact you are giving lessons.”

Ryoma rolled his eyes, “Join the club. It is volunteer work. I only have to count to a hundred three times nowadays when they don’t get it the first time. So if we can head towards the door…?” He got up and reached for his oldest tennis bag. Eiji remembered buying it for him when they were in high school for making captain on the junior high team.

“I will come with you.”

“Whatever, just hurry up….” There was a heavy pause, “You are NOT coming with me.”

“Yes I am. I am not done talking yet.”

“Then stay here. I do not want you there.”

Eiji sat down and smiled brightly, “Okay, I will wait here then.”

Ryoma was walking onto the court when it hit him. Eiji was alone. In his home. Alone. Shit!

~~

Four Weeks later…

“Eiji, you do realize you do not still live here right?”

“Ryoma, I told you I was going to stay till we worked this out.”

“I do not recall you ever saying anything to me along those lines.”

“I distinctly remember saying them.”

“Was I in the house?”

“Yes.”

“Half way out the door doesn’t count.”

“Well….I am not sure how OUT of the door you were….”

~~

Six weeks later…

“Eiji that was my date.”

“I didn’t like him.”

“See, that would be the part where he would be MY date – not yours.”

“But he wasn’t your type.”

“This is why we’re …”

“Were. He left.”

“ARE. I called and told him I would meet him at the restaurant. See this is why you go on a date to see if you are compatible with another person. By the way, how did you get in?”

“The spare key.”

“Spare key?”

“Mhmmm.”

“The great thing about spare keys is if EVERYONE KNOWS WHERE IT IS!”

“No need to get angry.”

“GO HOME EIJI.”

~~

Two months later…

“You know you should really either move in or talk already.”

“I want to come home, so tell me Ryoma – is this home?”

Ryoma turned and looked at Eiji seriously as they washed the dishes together, “Is it out of your system? Are you done looking down other roads?”

Eiji rinsed his hands and reached for a towel, “It took me a long time to find y road Ryoma, but when I did it brought me home to you.”

“Pretty words. Do you really mean them?”

“I am in love with you Ryoma. I want to be home, here with you. I want to spend time with you and spoil Karupin. I want to challenge you to one on one at Sundays and then eat with your family. I want to know that the road I chose led me home.”

Ryoma blinked and then smirked, “You are dripping onto the floor you fool. You don’t want Karupin to drink dishwater do you? Yeesh, a guy leaves home for a bit and he forgets everything.”

“SO I am home?”

The answer was long and deep. After going so long without kissing each other it seemed like they were starving. Lips ravaged each other teeth bumped, tongues dances, and bodies seemed to meld. 

“If that isn’t a yes, I am going to kill you.”

“Follow me upstairs and see if it was or not.”

“Tease.”

 

“Teases don’t follow through, you should know by now I have GREAT follow through.”

“RYOMAAAA!”


	2. Natural Mood Enhancement

Theme: #12 – In a Good Mood

~~  
There was something about being in a relationship that made a man get a little cranky at times. There was the added bonus of not just living with your partner, but down the hall from your best friends. All of who seemed to deem it their business when you were in a less than pleasant mood – not only that but they knew how to fix it. Only one of them was ever right. He was off playing doubles with Oishi-sempai and wouldn’t be home for at lest three more days.

Damn it.

Ryoma shot Kaidou-sempai a look begging for him to save him from a well meaning Momo-sempai. All he got was a smirk and a shake of the head.

Damn it all.

~~

Eiji bit back a laugh as he listened to Kaidou tell him Ryoma was in a funk. Not only that but that Momo-kun was attempting to cheer him up. The cheerful young man could just see the look on his boyfriend’s face. Picturing it just made him laugh a little harder, “SO your boyfriend spent his day off trying to cheer up MY boyfriend. How’d that work out for him?”

“Not so well. I think he was annoyed when Ryoma fell asleep after calling him an idiot for trying. He is an idiot. But still…”

“I will try calling later. Oishi and I have this pres conference thing in a bit. I will call after dinner.” Eiji said taking a sip out of the water bottle sitting next to him, “So what else is new?”

“Inui lost his notebook.”

“Glad I am not in town.”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

~~

Ryoma was in hiding. Not from any type of law enforcement, but from well meaning sempai’s that just didn’t get it. They didn’t get that Eiji had been gone for over a month. They didn’t get that he missed talking to his boyfriend about the stalkers at school while Eiji imitated them and rubbed his back. Or that he missed Sundays because it was the one day no one came by and they watched cartoons and ate ice cream out of the box because they could. He can’t admit this to anyone but he still misses it.

If this is how Eiji feels when he is gone they are going to coordinate their schedules better because this was wrong. He looked at Karupin and snuggled his cat closer, “At least you don’t abandon me to lay Doubles.” He scratches her ears and lets her purr, “Not that that is fair is it? I leave him to play. I just… I don’t know. What do I want girl hmmm?”

There was a hiss then she attacked his now vibrating telephone. He picked it up to a picture of his boyfriend’s laughing face on the view screen, “The picture is new. When did you do that?”

“Hello to you to Ryoma. I am fine thanks for asking and before I left.”

There was a soft laugh, “You know I was just thinking about you.”

“Care to share or should I go into how brilliantly Oishi and I defeated everyone to walk away undefeated?” Eiji said lightly hoping he wasn’t going to have to pry the info out of his boyfriend. That was NEVER fun.

“Remember back in junior high we all got stuck in that conference room during the black out.”

Eiji’s eye sparkled, “That I do remember. I kissed you for the first time during that black out.”

“I vaguely recall you kissing my cheek.”

There was a pause and then a snort, “Please. I remember that kiss. I remember somebody clinging to me for dear life.”

“I didn’t realize that Kawamura was so close to you that night…”

“Ryoma! Play nice or I will tell Fuji you need some help feeling better. That he needs to spend more time with his kouhai.” Eiji warned in a teasing tone that quickly turned serious, “Tell me Ryoma.”

There was silence and Eiji was busy trying to think of ways to get him to open up without being there. This was the hard part, because getting through to Ryoma often meant going by facial expression and body language. Neither of which work on the phone.

“Just bored. Ironically Karupin doesn’t seem to hold conversation as well as she used to. I seem to have gotten used to this loud mouth redhead invading my life.”

“First of all I take offense to you insulting my mouth. It isn’t there to defend itself, secondly – I do not invade your life. I took it over when we started seeing each other man moons ago. It is not my fault you were just too slow to see it.”

Ryoma seemed to be in a better mood while talking to Eiji. When it came time to say good bye, he grinned at the kissy noises coming from his boyfriend on the other end of the phone.

“Can you be an y cornier Eiji?”

“Want me to try? I ill try – JUST for you Ryoma!”

“That is okay; I will live just fine without it. Take care of yourself Eiji, I --“

There was silence and then a quiet, “I know. Sleep and stop biting people’s heads off – I will only be another week.”

Ryoma kissed the receiver and hung up. He was in a better mood. Now if only he could convince Momo-sempai…


	3. Sneaky Traditions

Theme: #1n Look over here...

~~

When one is dating Eiji Kikumaru one learns many things. One of which is that he is a remote control hog. He must have it in his possession at all times. If not he would be all fidgety and you wouldn’t get to enjoy the show anyway. SO Ryoma had learned to be sneaky in the six weeks they had been dating.

Food was a good way to do this. Eiji was usually in the mood for a snack. If you were quick enough and if Ryoma did the big puppy eyes, Eiji would leave the remote and you could gain control. However this required fast reflexes and clinging ability because there would be eminent war when the perky player returned. Often he would hold food hostage. SO this was only useable when you honestly weren’t all that hungry.

Another way to do it is to distract him with something else. Karupin worked great if they were at Ryoma’s home. Eiji and Karupin could amuse each other endlessly. It worked well unless you wanted to cuddle with either one. Then they each tended to get annoyed at the lack of attention. That was a viscous circle.

Ryoma’s favorite method was to distract Eiji and make him completely forget about the thing till it was firmly in his grasp. His favored method was a light kiss right under his right ear. This always made his sempai gasp softly and he was always kissed back. Always. If the remote somehow managed to switch possession in this time – that was convenient. But getting kisses from Eiji was worth it. 

Then one day – Eiji caught on.

~~

 

“Ryoma-kun, you aren’t getting the remote. I need it.” Eiji said in that tone of voice that one used when trying to explain things to a decidedly slow child.

“Kikumaru-sempai, I don’t know what you are saying. You ALWAYS have the remote. Always. So I do not know what you’re talking about.” He said with a smirk and an eye roll at his boyfriend as he flopped onto the couch next to him reaching for some on the popcorn that was in a bowl on Eiji’s lap. His face was the picture of innocence. Too bad Eiji knew better…

“There will be no kissing me tonight. We already have food and Karupin is with your parents in Kyoto. There is no reason for us to move for a prolonged period of time. So you can’t distract me.” Eiji said smugly, his eyes twinkling at Ryoma knowingly.

“I am sure I have no idea what you are referring too.” Was the all too calm reply, Ryoma looked at Eiji like the older boy had lost his mind. Eiji played along.

“Fine, just remember – NO KISSING.”

“Like you will last.” Muttered Ryoma opening the water bottle in front of him. Completely ignoring the annoyed snorts coming from his other half. If he played his cards right he might get the remote thrown at his head. The possession would be his…

~~

The battle was a quiet one. One waged with stealth and precision. With subtle glances and staged moments. Slow drinks of water and maybe over dramatic licking the salt off of ones fingers after eating some of the popcorn. They were both determined to win. But Ryoma had a secret weapon.

He smirked and paid attention to the screen.

~~

Eiji knew many things about his boyfriend. One was that his smirks were rather like Fuji’s. You never REALLY wanted to know what they were about. Ryoma really had been spending too much time with Fuji. Otherwise there wouldn’t be this sniggle of worry in the back of his mind at the smirk.

“Ryoma-kun, I am going to get a drink. You want anything?” Eiji said getting up and smiling at him. Trying to see if there were any cracks in the mask so he could figure what the hell was up with his boyfriend. Ryoma just smiled up at him and shook his head no. 

~~

Ryoma smirked and stole the remote – a successful battle. Victory! He promptly turned from the movie to the sports channel – when were they running that tennis play by play…?

~~

He had been had! Eiji glared at his innocently watching boyfriend, who chose that moment to notice his reappearance, “Sempai, did you make more…. What is with the look?”

“YOU! You were deliberately Fuji-like so I would get up and you could get the remote! Admit it! You were evil on purpose!” Eiji said sitting down huffily, “Besides you knew I wanted to watch that movie. I have been talking about it all week. You are mean.”

Ryoma rolled his eyes and hit a button, “It was on commercial I was checking to see if they were doing the play by play of the Junior Goodwill Games tennis yet. See this nifty button called ‘channel return’? Wanna guess what it does?”

Eiji pouted and then leaned back against Ryoma with a soft smile, “Okay, you win. Now how about my kiss?”

Ryoma shook his head resolutely, “My boyfriend told me I couldn’t kiss him today at all. He was very adamant about it.”

“He changed his mind.”

“Nope, I gave my word.”

“Ryoma….”

“Eiji…”

The redhead snorted then got a look in his eye, that had Ryoma caught it he would have been worried. This was a look that came from years as Fuji’s best friend, years of dodging Inui’s juice and dealing with an over protective Oishi. 

“Ryoma?”

“Hmmm Eiji?”

“Look! Doesn’t that cat in the window look like Karupin?”

When the dark head moved the red head moved in and kissed his boyfriend. Captured the lips that were now turning up in a smile, he moved in closer and deepened the kiss. He savored the sweet darkness that was the others mouth. He felt the strong arms go around his waist and let his own go around the others neck. He felt the magnetic pull that kept them together. The tentative touch of his tongue against his own, the way it teased his into joining it in a dance. The roughness of it against his own.

Yeah, this was pretty good. He had the remote and Eiji kisses. All in all it was a good day.


	4. Extortion for the Greater Good

Theme: #21 Extortion

~~

There was a limit to everything in life. To life itself at times. But to extort kisses was beyond the call of duty! This was an outrage! A scandal! It was just plain mean!!

“Ryoma!! I don’t think you are being fair!” the hyper red-head pouted and shot a look at the younger man sitting on his bed to see if the pout was working. He grunted softly when he saw it wasn’t. How was it his fault his boyfriend had lived in America and could speak the blasted language like a native? It wasn’t his fault that the boy was bilingual and therefore had NO troubles with English. 

“Eiji-sempai, you have to be able to speak English fluently to pass the class. Until you can read those sentences to me in clear English there are no kisses for you.” Ryoma said calmly though he was smacking his forehead against his hand on the inside. He was leaving in three days for a two week tournament in England, and now he was passing up time to kiss Eiji. Yeesh…

“Fine! But when I get better at English than you I will be the one with the no kissing rule and then we will see how you like it!”

“Agreed. You get to deny me kisses. Now work! I have that Japanese history paper to write.” He went back to the laptop on the bed when he felt the bed shift and a familiar warmth next to him.

“You never said no cuddles.” Eiji said leaning against him, “Plus this was you are closer in case I have a question.”

Ryoma returned his smirk and went back to work.

~~

“Fuji! It is no fair! I am having a REALLY hard time with this English and Ryoma is withholding kisses till I get it right! Help me?” Eiji looked at his best friend and hoped his face was hopeful enough to get him to help. 

“Eiji-kun, I am having issues with it myself. Maybe you should join me when I ask Tezuka for help. Or maybe Oishi?” Fuji said with a smile and a commiserating look. Eiji sighed and flopped onto the grass next to his friend and then turned his head to look at him.

“So when is he getting here. I have to win you see.” Fuji laughed and lay back with him.

“Soon Eiji, very soon.”

~~

“You know Ryoma-kun, extortion is not usually used so well, usefully.”

There was a tired smirk and a nod, “Ah, but I learned from the best didn’t I Fuji-sempai? You after all are the King of Extorting Kisses.”

There was a glint in two pairs of eyes before the tensai smiled serenely, “Sometimes you must use whatever means necessary for the greater good. Extortion usually does work nicely when used properly.” There was a heavy pause, “But aren’t you going to that tournament for a few weeks soon?”

“I leave in a week and two days. He needs to hurry up…” 

~~

“I am going to share with you the joys of…” Eiji stopped and groaned mentally rearranging his words. This semester the English final was an oral report that had to be delivered in fluent English. Being as his boyfriend was fluent his instructor hinted his should be the best – after all didn’t he have a roll model?

“Yes, my roll model is a sadist in the great tradition of Fuji Syuusuke. Fat lot of help he is giving me.” Eiji muttered and then started again.

“Today I am going to share with you the rigors of training in tennis at the competitive level.”

~~

Ryoma grinned as Eiji showed him his ‘A’ in English. Then kissed him sweetly, almost as if he were afraid of breaking him. After a week of no kissing Eiji was not having that. He pulled Ryoma closer and deepened the kiss till there was low moan and a gasps they separated.

“So I guess I am cut off now?” Ryoma said leaning back wearily, eyeing his boyfriend as if expecting to be denounced. Eiji smirked, which was very dangerous coming from the happy-go-lucky tennis player.

“Would I do that? I fully intend to plunder your mouth daily if not hourly when you return.” Eiji said and proceeded to do just that. He kissed and tasted and nibbled on Ryoma’s cotton candy lips. Feeling them part and the breath that rushed out mingle with his own. Marking him as his own to plunder, savoring the salty sweetness from the Ponta and the fries, the take-out laying forgotten on the bed nest to them. The warmth that was leaving in three hours. Ryoma sighed and leaned into the kiss and inhaled deeply making the smell of Eiji’s soap mix with his memory of this kiss. Then something happened. Something so horrible the memory would make their blood boil for months to come.

Eiji’s cell phone rang and continued to ring and vibrate at five minute intervals until he finally answered. He was annoyed and that was harder to do than most people tended to think it was, “Hello? Fuji-san this a BAD time… Yes I know that!”

Ryoma took this chance to stretch on the bed making sure he caught Eiji’s gaze and then smirked when Eiji joined him, running a hand up his side under his shirt, he responded by returning the favor, one upping Eiji by nuzzling the crook of his neck. There were soft nuzzles and long slow savoring kisses. The kind that don’t ever seem to end. The kind that makes you feel that you and the other person are totally in sync.

The last thought in Ryoma’s brain was, “If this is what extortion gets me…I am going to start taking more notes from Fuji-sempai…”


	5. Personalized Reality

Theme: #8 (our own world)

~~

The doors leading to the balcony were open and morning sunlight filtered in cutting a swath across the floor. Highlighting the tennis bags that had been heaved into a corner, the trail of clothes that led from the door to the bed and then the towel trail from the bathroom to the bed. Then still hidden in the shadows was a King Size bed with two barely discernible lumps in the middle of the mussed covers.

There was a muffled curse then a grunt the finally a chuckle as the two bodies attempted to disentangle themselves. Ryoma sat up and stretched with a yawn. He shot a look at his lover still snuggled into the covers and let his eyes wander a bit.

Time hade not been unkind to Eiji Kikumaru, and there were few who would deny that. The acrobatic tennis player was as fit and muscular as he needed to be playing tennis at their level. The well defined muscles that seemed to ripple and call out for his touch, even though his fingers knew exactly where to touch and where to linger. He was an expert on Eiji Kikumaru.

“Room service or should we risk actually eating in an actual restaurant?”

Eiji groaned and rolled over onto his stomach pulling a pillow over his head, “Room service Ochibi. Definitely room service.”

There was an annoyed snort and then a smirk, “That wasn’t what you were calling me last night, sempai.”

“What I say under sexual stress has nothing to do with real life. No more talking till after coffee. Where is the coffee?’

Golden eyes rolled and then he walked over to the phone and hit *8 for Room Service, “Hello, this is room 7549. Yes, coffee – cream and sugar, then two garden omelets, wheat toast – assorted jelly, hash browns, and juice. Twenty minutes? Thank you. Hmm? Charge it to the room please. Thank you.”

Eiji Kikumaru looked at his lover out of the corner of his right eye and smiled into the pillow. There was a lot he loved about the abrupt young man in bed with him. The way he could simplify any problem easily, his coolness under pressure, the way his mouth tasted. Okay, so kissing him was addictive as hell ands had been since Ryoma had been thirteen. Now that he was nineteen and they had been together for six years…give or take that month where they had both ‘needed space’ and the time Eiji though Ryoma was cheating with Fuji and Tezuka so he had had a fling with Oishi…well, their love life had definitely been interesting.

“Sempai? You haven’t called me that in awhile. What’s wrong?”

Ryoma groaned as he stood up and stretched, cotton pajama pants clearly defining his backside, and legs as he moved slowly to the window and looked out. He shrugged and looked over his shoulder, “I have no idea. Ever wish we could be in our little world where it didn’t matter what tennis titles we held and we could still go out on the spur of the moment or go out to breakfast and not have to worry about inciting a riot?”

Eiji grinned and sat all the way up ion the bed, “Someone is maudlin this morning. Tell me this – are you willing to walk away and give up competition without ever winning the Grand Slam? DO you want me to tell Oishi it’s over before we really make our mark internationally? Are you ready to retire at nineteen? If you answer no to any of these questions you’re musings are moot anyway.”

There was a choked out chuckle, “When did you get to the logical one? That is my job.”

Eiji shrugged and crawled out of bed blinking against the sunlight and then walking over to Ryoma and wrapping his arms around him from behind, resting his chin on the dark head, “You want to come back to bed? IO can think of much better ways to wake up in the morning after we have been apart for six weeks. C’mon back to bed.”

“Kaidou left me a voicemail the other day, seems he and Kurikio are finally going to announce the engagement. Fuji and Tezuka are both back in Seishun, teaching and coaching. Kawamura is running the sushi restaurant and opening a second one. Inui is married to that tactician for the national soccer team. Momo is coaching and wooing An still to this day. When are we going to be them Eiji?” Ryoma said suddenly still looking out the window.

The red head blinked and smiled softly, “You want to tell me what you are thinking about?”

“You never complain about the traveling, you never complain that half of the damned media still swears I am straight. You never demand more from me. When are you going to?”

Eiji grew very serious and the teasing glint left his eyes, “Ryoma, I will not make you into what I think you need to be. I knew you wanted the Grand Slam when we met, I saw you fight to get to where you are and I am not going to be the reason you wake up one day and realize your dream never happened. I refuse. I will wait you out, and when the time comes I will get you all to myself in our own little world. I can wait till then.”

 

“I swear to you Eiji, Once I have the Grand Slam if you want me to walk away I will.” Ryoma turned in his boyfriend’s arms and nuzzled his shoulder before meeting his eyes, “I swear to you.”

Eiji just nodded and kissed the pink lips he knew so well and let them return to enjoying the view till the coffee arrived.

~~

“In sports news today Ryoma Echizen of Japan has won the Grand Slam at the age of twenty. Mr. Echizen is the son of tennis prodigy Nanjirou Echizen and has been making waves in the tennis community since the age of eight. Directly after his win he stunned the masses saying he was taking time off from tennis to see the world. Long time companion, Eiji Kikumaru – Gold Medalist in Doubles Tennis in the last Olympics – was there today and was very proud of the young man…”

~~

“365 days of not being in the public eye. Think we can handle it?”

“Breakfast in or out?”

“I feel the need to eat outside where there is a person to serve me and I can feed you melon.”

Ryoma looked at Eiji and had to bite back a grin, “You want to feed me melon while we eat in a public restaurant? Did Oishi-sempai hit you accidentally in that last match?”

Eiji rolled his eyes and grabbed Ryoma’s hand before dragging him out of the hotel, “Ryoma, come ON!! I am hungry!”

~~

The kisses were long, slow and deep. The Moonlight filled the bedroom of their apartment and illuminated the two people in the bed perfectly. The room was silent except for the occasional sigh or low moan. The silence faded to all out pants and moaning, the moonlight bathing the couple soon showed them moving in their own little time bubble. The rest of the world faded into nothingness as they moved as one.

Many people wondered why Eiji still played with Oishi after all these years. The general opinion was that Ryoma and Eiji just never synched the way that the Golden Pair had. Those that knew them best knew that almost the opposite was true. They had become almost as in synch as the famed Golden Pair. But in an entirely different way, they balanced out and canceled out almost the other flaws. They filled the empty spots till they had created their own little world for the two of them.

~~

“Do you realize we have been in the same place, at the same time, and everything for almost a month?”

Eiji leaned over Ryoma’s shoulder in the bathtub reaching for his glass of wine before resettling against the cool marble, “I have, not to mention we haven’t killed or maimed each other yet. I am very impressed.” there was a gentle silence before Eiji spoke again, “Ryoma, remember when you told me if I wanted you to you would walk away after you won the Grand Slam?” The red head could feel the dark head nodding against his chest and he pulled the younger man closer and kissed the top of his head, “Do not do it yet. I want to see you win it again. I was never prouder of you than I was that day.”

“Even the day I beat my Dad?” Ryoma teased, making Eiji turn as red as his hair at the memory of the first time they had made love. There was some spluttering from the older man then the water settled again and the tone became serious again, “I would though. I have accomplished every goal I set for myself.”

Eiji chuckled and pulled Ryoma closer, “Tell you what, when we get bored that is when it is over.”

Ryoma thought about this and then he nodded slowly, “That sounds like a plan. When did you get to be the levelheaded one?”

“The day you walked away from your life’s passion to spend a year at my beck and call.”

“What makes you think it was all about you? I will have you know there are MANY other reasons for my taking a leave of tennis. Not to mention who said you can have only one life’s passion? I would like to think that you are also my life’s passion.”

Eiji smirked, “Who gave you that line?”

“I came up with that one all on my own thank you very much.”

“I do notice they only come out when we are here in our little space.”

Ryoma shrugged and stood up, suddenly feeling the water’s growing chilliness, “You bring out the inner sap in me I guess. Now, are you staying or will I have company while I watch ‘Kio’s match…in bed…?”

Eiji pretended to ponder this, “It is a very large bed, I would hate for you to get lost in it.”

“That would be a tragedy.”

“The blame and the guilt would be too horrible to deal with. Besides, who else can make pancakes like you do? I suppose for the betterment of mankind I will have to be brave and come with you.”

Ryoma shot his lover a look, “You do realize that you are a drama queen. Right?”

Eiji nodded, “Yep. But you love me anyway.


End file.
